One killed in clashes between protesters and police in Behbahan

According to Iranian news agencies, a gathering of residents from the village of 'Shahruyi' in Behbahan County protesting their non-employment at the 'Bid Boland 2' refinery led to clashes with law enforcement on Tuesday, December 24, resulting in 'one person killed and two injured.' While reports circulating on social media indicate that law enforcement officers fired shots at the protesters, the Behbahan governor and police officials in Khuzestan province accused some participants of the gathering of shooting at the police. These officials did not clarify how the deceased was killed or by whom. In this context, according to the state news agency IRNA, Hossein Malek-Khodai, the governor of Behbahan, accused the protesters of blocking the road leading to the 'Bid Boland 2' refinery and 'attacking' police officers sent to clear the road. He added, 'These individuals fired at the officers with firearms, resulting in the death of one villager and injuries to two others.' Malek-Khodai stated that the 'perpetrators' of this gathering have been arrested. Fazel Mohammadpour, the prosecutor of Behbahan, also reported that three protesters were arrested 'during the initial gathering' in front of the refinery. He mentioned that some protesters had gathered for 'three days' in front of the 'Bid Boland 2' refinery, blocking the entrance and preventing it from starting operations. Mohammad Reza Ishaqi, the police chief of Khuzestan province, also stated that the protesters had 'blocked' the Behbahan to Ramhormoz road, causing 'heavy traffic.' Reports indicate that the construction of the 'Bid Boland 2' refinery in Behbahan began a few months ago and is expected to be operational within the next two years. The village of 'Shahruyi,' with a population of 2,800, is located next to this refinery. However, some local websites have reported that residents of this village are not prioritized for employment at the refinery despite their proximity. Nevertheless, the Behbahan governor stated that 340 people have been 'recruited' for jobs at this refinery, of which 65 are from the village of 'Shahruyi.' According to Malek-Khodai, more than '16 percent' of the employees at this refinery are from the village of 'Shahruyi,' while this village constitutes 'only one percent' of the population of Behbahan County. In this context, the unemployment rate reached 10.9 percent this summer, with 110,000 people holding doctoral degrees unemployed, and 18,000 people unemployed with 900 production units in West Azerbaijan experiencing stagnation.